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I’m mighty happy to be in my new home, but one of the things I miss from the old place is my little 96-square-foot house.

David Strickland designed it and built it in September 2008, and it is a real beauty. It has more than 250 linear feet of crown molding, a floored attic (with a vertical staircase), and five wonderful windows. And it has 96 square feet of living area. And did I mention that it has a slate roof?

If you want a little house of your own, or if you need any type of contracting work, I highly recommend David. He is easily the finest contractor that I’ve ever worked with. In addition to his 30 years of experience, he’s incredibly talented. He’s more than just an experienced carpenter, he’s a true artisan, in every sense of the word.

If you’d like to see samples of his work, scroll on down. He’s done so much work for us, and I’ve never met another contractor who comes close to this level of quality.

We always called it, The Little Mansion. This is a real beauty and it's a lovely testament to David's abilities.

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This custom-built jewel has more than 250 feet of crown molding and a slate roof. And it was designed and built by David Strickland.

David also restored the bathroom for us. The work he did was first rate, and the end result was magazine-quality gorgeous!

When you own an old house, it’s extra tough to find a reliable, honest, trust-worthy contractor that “gets it” and will love and respect your old house, but I found one.

And now I’m worried about losing him.

Yesterday I got a call from David Strickland, who is *the* contractor that did most of the work on our home in Colonial Place. He truly is one of the most skilled craftsmen I’ve ever encountered. In addition to his 30 years of experience, he’s incredibly gifted and talented and just has a real “vision” for this work.

He’s not just a carpenter who can patch things together, but a true artisan in every sense of the word, and I don’t say that lightly.

As a nice bonus, he’s one of the most honest men I’ve ever known. If I had a single complaint about David, it would be this: He does not charge enough for his work.

Yesterday, David told me that his phone has stopped ringing and he’s going to have to make some hard choices soon if work doesn’t start up again.

Two years ago, he did a $100,000+ room addition for a friend of mine, and she was thrilled with the quality of the work. And it was a beautiful job. Whether it’s a room addition or a few shelves, he does it all. He’s licensed and insured, and it’d be a sin to lose him to another line of work. He’s too talented and too honest to lose.

If you’d like to see samples of his work, scroll on down. He’s done so much work for us, and I’ve never met another contractor who comes close to this level of quality.

His name is David Strickland and his number is 237-6492. I hope you’ll give him a call.

David installed a dozen new windows in our house, including these windows in the kitchen. He did a first-class job, and meticulously cleaned up everything when he was done.

There's more than 250 linear feet of crown molding on this little house, built and DESIGNED by David Strickland.

And yes, that's a slate roof. It has a floored attic and five little windows.

David redid our bathroom too, and he did a fantastic job. It was a mess of 1980s beige and 12-inch tile and he restored it to its former beauty (1920s era).

When I give tours of my home, I usually tell people, “This old house is actually a beautiful piece of artwork, and wood was the artists’ medium of choice. And this wooden sculpture is incredibly practical, because we get to live inside of it.”

That’s an honest assessment of how I think of this grand old house.

And Sunday, you can come see this old house. There’ll be an Open House here at 3916 Gosnold Avenue on Sunday from 12-3 pm.

We’ve invested more than $45,000 in our beautiful pink house doing a faithful restoration of this grand old manse. As an architectural historian, I’ve gone to great pains to make certain that all the work performed on this old house was done with painstaking care, forethought, and to my personal exacting standards.

And it might just be the most environmentally friendly old house in Norfolk. With its super high-efficiency gas boiler (94%+), high-efficiency central air (14 SEER) and a dazzling rainwater harvesting system, it’s a delightful blending of the best of old-world craftsmanship with modern technology. In short, you’ll have the unique pleasure of living in a beautiful old house with none of the environmental guilt.

4) Thorough restoration of original (Buckingham Slate) roof, with new copper flashing and copper cap at roof ridge. Roof repairs will be required again in 2085 (or so). (About 25% of all the construction debris found in landfills is roofing materials. Slate is the “greenest” roof in the world and with occasional maintenance, it can last forever.)

5) Seamless 6-inch (extra large) aluminum gutters and downspouts.

6) No worries about old plumbing! Entire house replumbed with new copper lines in 2007.

7) Electrical service updated (some new wiring and new panel) in Spring 2007.

11) Who doesn’t love a little house, especially one with a slate roof? “3916-1/2 Gosnold” is a custom-built “mini-house” with a 9′ ceiling, floored attic, built-in ladder and vintage windows.

12) When it’s time for the morning’s ablutions, step into the bath and back in time. Faithfully restored second-floor bath features porcelain sconces, vintage medicine chest, and a Kohler Memoirs sink, sitting atop a restored hex floor. Also has elegant wainscoting, Danze high-end faucets and solid brass vintage towel rack.

13) Modern kitchen is full of light with seven large windows, stainless steel appliances and a brand new Kenmore gas range (May 2011).

15) Handy rain-water harvesting system already in place for those thirsty plants, with more than 200 gallons of available storage.

16) Bibliophiles delight! Built-in bookcase on sunporch is more than 9′ tall and 6′ wide, with 27 sturdy shelves.

17) The house was custom built in 1925 by William Barnes, owner of one of Norfolk’s largest lumber yards. His grandchildren recall that he hand-selected every piece of framing lumber that went into the house. And it shows.

House is 2,300 square feet with three bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths, and a large sunporch.

Classic lines and high-quality workmanship make this a timeless beauty.

The house has 32 windows, and 7 of them are in the kitchen. One of my favorite features in the kitchen are these many beautiful windows. The gas stove (left) is less than 30 days old. The dishwasher and fridge (both stainless steel) were new in March 2007.

This spacious kitchen was remodeled in Spring 2007.

The gas stove was installed less than a month ago. Still shiny new!

Really, really big refrigerator does everything but serve you buttered toast in the morning.

The living room is awash in light with a western and eastern and southern exposure. The living room is 25 feet long and 13 feet wide.

The spacious dining room has four windows (six feet tall!) and has beautiful oak floors.

Visitors to our home frequently comment on the beautiful foyer.

Original french doors to the living room and dining room are still in place.

A view from the staircase.

Another view of the foyer.

The house is also a gardener's delight, with provisions to collect and store more than 200 gallons of rain water.

Your own private farm awaits: Tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, carrots and lettuce will be ready for harvest in about 30 days.

And they all live together in peace - in a fully enclosed living space - safe from racoons and squirrels.

And the world's most perfect strawberry, from my garden.

And a flower garden, too!

Carrerra marble under radiator and toilet complement the hex flooring. Work was done in Spring 2010.

Bathroom was restored to its original 1920s appearance.

This 1930s vintage thermostat works beautifully, controlling a 2011 high efficiency gas boiler.

It's the little things that make an old house a special home. Vintage doorbell installed in 2008, and it has a beautiful chime!

Front entry foyer is 11 feet wide and 25 feet long.

Spacious sunporch has built-in bookcases that are 9-feet tall.

Little house (address is 3916-1/2) has a floored attic, vintage windows and slate roof.

Another view of the little house.

Private, off-street parking and a uniquely large yard for Colonial Place make 3916 Gosnold Avenue a quiet oasis amidst a sea of classic old houses.

View from the street.

Sideyard summertime view.

And I saved the best for last: The Perfect Pergola. The design came from a 1924 architectural magazine. Note hipped roof with slate shingles.

Saturday morning, my dear husband arose at 5:30, had his morning coffee and by 6:00 am, he had started on his assigned chore: painting the kitchen in old 1925-built Colonial Revival. I helped a bit, but he did the lion’s share of the work on Saturday. Sunday morning, I arose at 3:30 am and started taking down cabinet doors and emptying drawers, so that we might get those painted quickly as well. On Sunday, he rested and I worked.

At noon on Sunday, professional painter (and good friend) Tory Newman joined us, helping expedite the process. Yesterday at 4 pm, we were pulling up drop cloths and wiping down countertops. It was done. And the result was transformative. Never in my life have I seen three gallons of paint (ceiling, walls and cabinets) make such a difference. As Tory says, “Now you have a high end kitchen to match the rest of your high end house.”

We went from tired beige walls and tired beige cabinets to deep red walls and strikingly white trim and cabinets. And we patched a few old cracks along the way, giving the walls a more unified and solid appearance.

The look of the new kitchen (new paint) is just dazzling. Had I known how beautiful it would turn out, I would have done this years ago!

My favorite feature of the kitchen is the large windows over the sink.

The gas stove was installed less than a month ago. Still shiny new!

The cabinets have been painted bright white. Lots of work!

kitchen

And I'll miss this massive refrigerator with an ice and water dispenser.

A view from the doorway.

The long end of the kitchen has a fish in a fry pan that we bought at the Stockely Gardens Art Show in 2009. It's always been one of my favorite items, and now it matches the kitchen! Fishie does not convey. :)

That's one happy fish!

Wayne, after being permitted entry into the kitchen. Teddy is hoping Wayne is going to drop some food.

The house at 3916 Gosnold Avenue.

Classic lines and high-quality workmanship make this a timeless beauty.

The living room is awash in light with a western and eastern and southern exposure. The living room is 25 feet long and 13 feet wide.

The spacious dining room has four windows (six feet tall!) and has beautiful oak floors.

Visitors to our home frequently comment on the beautiful foyer.

Original french doors to the living room and dining room are still in place.

A view from the staircase.

Another view of the foyer.

The house is also a gardener's delight, with provisions to collect and store more than 200 gallons of rain water.

Your own private farm awaits: Tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, carrots and lettuce will be ready for harvest in about 30 days.

And they all live together in peace - in a fully enclosed living space - safe from racoons and squirrels.

And the world's most perfect strawberry, from my garden.

And a flower garden, too!

Carrerra marble under radiator and toilet complement the hex flooring. Work was done in Spring 2010.

Bathroom was restored to its original 1920s appearance.

This 1930s vintage thermostat works beautifully, controlling a 2011 high efficiency gas boiler.

It's the little things that make an old house a special home. Vintage doorbell installed in 2008, and it has a beautiful chime!

Front entry foyer is 11 feet wide and 25 feet long.

Spacious sunporch has built-in bookcases that are 9-feet tall.

Little house (address is 3916-1/2) has a floored attic, vintage windows and slate roof.

Another view of the little house.

Private, off-street parking and a uniquely large yard for Colonial Place make 3916 Gosnold Avenue a quiet oasis amidst a sea of classic old houses.

View from the street.

Sideyard summertime view.

And I saved the best for last: The Perfect Pergola. The design came from a 1924 architectural magazine. Note hipped roof with slate shingles.

Darling Hubby Wayne from Elkins, poised atop a rock in the Cheat River

What is a Sears Home? These were true kits sold out of the Sears Roebuck catalog. The houses were shipped via rail and contained 30,000 pieces of house. Each kit came with a 75-page instruction manual and a promise that a “man of average abilities” could have one assembled and ready for occupancy in about 90 days. Today, there are about 70,000 Sears kit homes in America. Incredibly, about 90% of the people living in these homes don’t realize what they have! The purpose of this website is to help people learn more about this fascinating piece of America’s history.

Here are a few of the houses I found within the city limits of Elkins, West Virginia.

The Sears Lynnhaven was one of Sears' most popular kit homes.

Sears Lynnhaven in Elkins, hidden behind a few trees.

Sears Matoka, another popular Sears Homes

Sears Home or Wardway Home? Hard to know for sure. This house was offered (in identical floorplans) by both Sears and Mongtomery Wards. One thing's for sure: It's a beautiful old kit house. It's in South Elkins.

Sears Hazleton from the 1919 Sears Modern Homes catalog

Unfortunately, I had to photograph this house from the opposite side shown in the catalog image, but this bungalow (high atop a hill in Elkins, WV) is unmistakeably a Sears Hazleton. If you looked at this house from the right side, you'd see that unusual bay window with six windows (four large, two small) on that left side. It's located in Wees Historic District.

Sears Cornell from the 1923 Sears Modern Homes catalog

Sears Cornell. Although this looks like just another foursquare, this Cornell has a goofy floorplan, with a tiny bathroom (and tiny window) on its left side. When you look on the home's left side, you'll see that the oddly-placed bathroom window is right where it should be. THe Cornell was a very popular house for Sears, and I'm confident that this house is a Sears Cornell.

Sears Marion/Lakecrest from the 1936 Sears Modern Homes catalog

Is this a Sears Marion? I'd say it is. It's a good match on all sides and all the windows are in their right place. One eye-catching feature is the swoop of the bellcast roof on the front of the house. The raised roof in the back was obviously added in later years.

Sears Glendale from the 1919 Sears Modern Homes catalog

Is this a Sears Glendale? It looks like it. However, it is not a spot-on match.

And there’s even a Lustron Prefabricated post-WW2 home in Elkins. Lustron Homes were made of 20-gage 2×2 metal tiles, covered with a porcelain enamel finish (just like the top of a high-dollar washing machines!). These houses were all metal - inside and out - and hanging a picture required sticking magnets to the walls! Nails and other fasteners would damage the porcelain enamel finish. Lustron was based in Columbus, Ohio and less than 3000 Lustron Homes were sold in this country. They were remarkable, strong and long-lasting houses - definitely ahead of their time. Finding this three-bedroom model in Elkins was a special treat, as the three-bedroom Lustrons were very rare.